World Dairy Expo is where the dairy industry meets. No other dairy event in the world compares. Designed for dairy producers and industry partners, World Dairy Expo is a showcase for elite dairy cattle, cutting-edge research and modern technologies.

More than 65,000+ dairy industry enthusiasts plan to make the trip to World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, for the 2011 show Oct. 4-8.

Tuesday, October 4
10:30 a.m.

Thursday, October 6
10:30 a.m.

Friday, October 7
10:30 a.m.
“Cattle Lameness and Hoofcare”
Dr. Roger Blowey, Waubesa Room

Dr. Blowey will present an informative and entertaining discusson on hoof care during one of three seminars at World Dairy Expo. Blowey’s special interests are preventive medicine and the interaction of nutrition, disease and environment on the productivity of livestock.

He has lectured extensively on these subjects overseas. He has also been featured in educational programs on radio and television and has written numerous original papers and books on a wide range of livestock topics.

S.A.E. Afikim USA
This summer, the Israeli company S.A.E. Afikim has set up an independent business – S.A.E. Afikim USA, Inc. – to serve the North America dairy farmers. With that, it will have its own booth location in the Exhibition Hall of World Dairy Expo (EH6302-6303).

Progressive Dairyman asked Joe Bleau, director for Afikim North America, a few questions about the company’s entry into the U.S. market.

Q. How did the company get its name?
A. BLEAU: S.A.E. stands for: Special Agricultural Equipment, and Afikim is the name of the place where it is located (Kibbutz Afikim in Israel).

The company also has the brand name – Afimilk, which is more well-known.

Q. Where is the company’s headquarters?
A. BLEAU: The headquarters of the company are in Kibbutz Afikim, in the northern part of Israel near the Sea of Galilee. Kibbutz is a special kind of settlement that is unique only for Israel.

A Kibbutz is a small society of people who live together communally according to socialist principles.

Q. What region of the U.S. do you serve?
A. BLEAU: Our U.S. branch, known as S.A.E. Afikim USA (or afimilk USA), serves all of North America and Mexico.

Q. What does the company specialize in?
A. BLEAU: Developing, manufacturing and marketing advanced computerized systems for the modern dairy farm and for herd management for cows, sheep, goats and buffalo. The company introduced the world’s first electronic milk meter more than 30 years ago and continues to provide advanced solutions for the milking parlor.

Q. What is the latest product/service you’ve released?
A. BLEAU: AfiLab – the only such device in the dairy industry – measures fat, protein, lactose levels and SCC ranges, and detects blood in milk.

The AfiLab is the first milk spectrometer in the world designed to be installed in-parlor on the milk pipeline at each milking stall. It performs real-time measurements of milk solid concentrations and indicates the presence of blood and the level of somatic cells in the milk.

Q. What brought about its creation?
A: BLEAU: This device will revolutionize the industry in the same way the first electronic milk meter did 30 years ago. The resolution of the new acquired data will shift its main use from genetic improvement to farm management, where efficiency increase is faster and more significant.

Data from this device can be applied toward:

• Automated daily solids determination alerts to any changes in fat and protein content of milk, allowing optimizing feeding and indicating nutrition problems.

• Dry matter intake prediction for feeders and assessment of required rest periods for lactating individuals.

• Early diagnosis of sub-acute ruminal acidosis, ketosis and other health problems by using milk fat concentration, fat-to-protein ratio, lactose content and weight changes in individuals and groups for better prevention treatment policy.

• Real-time analysis enables general milk tank quality monitoring.

Q. How will your product/service make a dairy more profitable and/or more efficient?
A. BLEAU: Knowing the details and state of each animal for making the correct daily management decisions are the basics of precision management. Automatic data collection is the only practical way for achieving a reliable database of information about the animals on the farm.

Q. What brings you to World Dairy Expo?
A. BLEAU: We attend to visit dairymen and to expose our new products to the marketplace, but also to see how the industry is changing and what directions it is taking.

The Insentec Galaxy Robot
Questions answered by A.J.M (Arnold) van Leeuwen, Business Unit Manager, Insentec , and Dennis Milhoan, President, AMS Galaxy USA

The Insentec Galaxy Robot will be shown for the first time in the U.S. at the 2011 World Dairy Expo. Currently there are more than 1,000 of these automatic milking systems (AMS) in place throughout Canada and Europe. The robot will be on display in the Arena Building at booths 413-415.

Q. When was the robot created?
A. VAN LEEUWEN: The first Galaxy AMS was introduced to the Dutch market in 2000, and after that it was successfully introduced to several countries in Europe. At this moment, the Insentec AMS system is in use in more than 25 countries.

Q. What brought about its creation?
A. VAN LEEUWEN: Insentec is a company that has been in the agro-automation [field] for more than 30 years. It has its own R&D and manufacturing departments that are producing automation systems for the agricultural sector, like electronic ID systems, concentrate feeding systems, milking parlor keyboard and milk meters, activity registration systems, farm management software, specialized feed intake recording equipment for research farms, etc.

From this, it was a very logical development to move into the development, production and distribution of the Insentec Galaxy AMS systems.

Q. How did it get its name?
A. VAN LEEUWEN: The Galaxy name is from the marketing approach that the AMS system is for the farmer of the future. The Galaxy (Milky Way) and the model names Starline and Astrea 20.20 are a logical addition to this philosophy. The user-friendly software is also named Saturnus and Saturnus 20.20 to make the approach complete.

Q. What type of dairy producer does it benefit the most?
A. VAN LEEUWEN: It is for farmers that are looking to the future to be more competitive and able to produce more milk with less labor input.

Farmers who want to produce high-quality milk from healthy cows by using the most up-to-date technology for individual cow management and control.

Farmers that want to be more flexible in their labor input and have a much more social lifestyle with their family, and not be forced to milk two or three times per day, which is also very intense for the human body.

Q. How will the robot make a dairy more profitable and/or more efficient?
A. VAN LEEUWEN: Cows can be milked more than two times per day without having to have additional people to milk the cows in more shifts, which will lead to more milk per cow and a much better udder health. This increases the income from milk and decreases the farmer’s costs.

With automation by the AMS, you can produce more milk per full-time equivalent, make the workload much more flexible and guarantee a very consistent high-quality milk product.

Q. How did your company get involved with the robot?
A. MILHOAN: A friend is the distributor for the Galaxy Robot in Canada. I learned from him about the opportunity available [for distribution] in the U.S. He spoke well of the quality of the equipment and the excellent support from Insentec, the manufacturer.

Q. Where is your company located?
A. MILHOAN: AMS Galaxy USA is the distributor for the Galaxy. Lancaster Dairy Farm Automation, Inc. is a dealer. Both offices are located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Q. What region of the U.S. do you serve?
A. MILHOAN: AMS Galaxy USA is the distributor for the entire U.S. Lancaster Dairy Farm Automation, Inc. is one dealer covering Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.

Q. What else does the company specialize in?
A. MILHOAN: Lancaster Dairy Farm Automation, Inc. is a full-line milking equipment company serving more than 1,000 dairies in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia for more than 25 years.

Q. Why did you choose to showcase it at World Dairy Expo?
A. MILHOAN: World Dairy Expo is the premier dairy showcase event in the world. It is very well attended by dairymen from all over the world. The show is well organized and managed. PD